Mike Huckabee: Obama Grew Up In Kenya

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee says President Barack Obama's childhood in Kenya shaped his world view -- despite the fact that Obama did not visit Kenya until he was in his 20s.

The potential Republican presidential candidate told New York radio station WOR that Obama was raised in Kenya with a Kenyan father and grandfather.

Actually, Obama was born in Hawaii in 1961 to a mother from Kansas and a father from Kenya whom he would barely know. He spent his youth in Hawaii and Indonesia and did not visit his father's homeland until 1987, well after his father's death.

Huckabee has criticized those who suggest Obama is Kenyan and thus ineligible to be president. Recently he said that birthers are wasting their "time and energy" by mounting attacks on the citizenship issue during an appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America."

A Huckabee adviser did not have an immediate explanation for Huckabee's comments to WOR. On Tuesday afternoon, however, the director of the potential presidential contender's political action committee endeavored to clarify the comments about Obama's upbringing.

Hogan Gidley told ABC News that Huckabee "misspoke" on the matter and "meant to say the president grew up in Indonesia." The spokesman also reiterated, "The Governor believes the President was born in Hawaii."

WATCH: Huckabee Address Birther Issue On GMA

Comments

[William Holt]

11:13 PM on 03/14/2011

You have to cut Huckabee some slack on the Obama is from Kenya and likes Mau Mau. Mike grew up in Little Rock Arkansas where as a boy townspeople where the townsfolk threatened to lynch blacks when they tried to go to white schools. When Mike was growing up, the Governor of Arkansas used to State National Guard to block nine blacks from a little Little Rock school until President Eisenhower had to send in the 101st AirBorne and nationalize the Arkansas National Guard. So it's easy to understand how today Mike Huckabee has that old Little Rock segregationist view that says black people should not be allowed to do what white people do. Be President of the United States for example.

[riazkj4]

10:21 AM on 03/07/2011

His black father was never in the picture. Surprising?

[southernman]

02:04 PM on 03/04/2011

Just playing to his base, the fruit loop crowd

[Albert Dussault]

10:32 AM on 03/04/2011

This ought to be illegal. Either he was born in Kenya or he was not. This is not an opinion. It is a fact or it is a lie.

[Zork4]

01:00 PM on 03/04/2011

It's a lie. President Barack Hussein Obama was born in Hawaii as the Government of Hawaii attests. Bill and Hillary would never have let a foreign birth get by them.

[Chris Whitehead]

01:03 PM on 03/04/2011

it has been well established he was not born in Kenya, proof has been shown...Huckaby was being pretty slimy by bringing upa non issue

[Louis Leo IV]

01:15 AM on 03/04/2011

Said the one Manchurian Candidate about the other...

[Greenchilistew]

01:20 PM on 03/04/2011

Manchurian? I thought they said he was Kenyan? I'm so confused.

[BeatrixBPS]

12:29 AM on 03/04/2011

Also, Indonesia was not an English colony.

[baileywick]

08:24 PM on 03/03/2011

Whether Obama grew up in Kenya or not, at least he grew up, Huckster.

[doublerainbow]

06:59 PM on 03/03/2011

Even Rushbo knows better ...

"Let me ask you a question. How many people really think of Obama as black? ...One of Obama's parents is black. Undeniable. But he was raised by a white mother, by white grandparents. He went to a highly exclusive private school in Hawaii with rich, white students and white teachers. He went to exclusive colleges that were practically lily-white. Barry Obama is from a very white, albeit radically left, cultural background.

[Douglas Campbell]

08:31 PM on 03/03/2011

He's all things to all people, that's the beauty of it.

As long as you squint a little and ignore some inconvenient truths, he can either be a White Supremacist or a Black Supremecist, like Oprah (joke).

He's a Communist and a Capitalist.

He's gay and a womanizer.

He's a radical Christian and a radical Muslim.

He was born in Kenya and Indonesia.

[mari2JJ]

10:05 PM on 03/03/2011

Well we always expect ignorance in this world. But remember, in our own Southern States, the rule was and socially still is, "if you have a drop of black blood, you are indeed a black". Of course racists never talk about the issues they come up with some silly little phrase about all things to all people. Or was it a compliment. Probably was, now that i think of it. That is a great thing, then, about Obama. Ignore previous remarks. I know with that last line, you are a true blue Obama supporter. Welcome aboard!

[e paw]

03:10 AM on 03/05/2011

Black fear wasn't reaching enough people so he thought he's try another direction. Elite fear, white fear (for the minorities, maybe?), lily fears?? I really don't follow where he's going with this, but I'm sure it's a convoluted path to some nonsense.

[leonel]

06:10 PM on 03/03/2011

It's true that Huckabee and a lot of other Republicans are telling blatant lies about Obama and other Democrats and one wonders how much they work. Carter was also from Arkansas and history says that he was way behind in one race and he came out with some very negative things that actually worked. There are many other examples.

In modern politics, Nixon got paranoia because he believed that Kennedy stole an election from him. There is good evidence that this happened. But regrettably it started all the dirty politics we are now used to.

One saving grace is that people hate negativism in general and this is a big drawback for Republicans. Salesmen with smiles and positive attitudes tend to win most often,

[leonel]

06:39 PM on 03/03/2011

I should have written that Carter was from the South and from Georgia. He was also the one who combined religion and campaigning in a noticeable way.

[ywcachieve]

08:51 PM on 03/03/2011

Post proof that Kennedy stole an election.

[Zork4]

01:04 PM on 03/04/2011

We've heard that for years. May or may not be true, but Nixon would have been a disaster in 1960 so I don't care. Greg Palast, however, makes a very good case that the 2004 Presidential election was stolen in Ohio.

http://www.gregpalast.com/how-they-stole-ohio/

[BCP72]

12:58 PM on 03/03/2011

Pls answer this, Why is that the media NEVER talks about his white mother accomplishments??

[Greenchilistew]

01:28 PM on 03/04/2011

Racially, President Obama is no less white than black. I find it interesting that all of the white supremacists who feel that "white" blood is so much better than "black" seem to feel that in an equal admixture of the two, the black easily conquers the white. A might inconsistent, n'est-ce pas?

[e paw]

03:17 AM on 03/05/2011

Inconsistent is one way of describign it.

[e paw]

03:16 AM on 03/05/2011

They would put theirs to shame. Someone who actually cared about spreading the word. Stupid media.

[BCP72]

12:57 PM on 03/03/2011

This Jerk knew from day one where the POTUS was born at. This is all show for his non-running self. Pay attention ppl blk or whte this is how they stir up lies, upon lies! Its all done because he is BLACK and the ones that say race card, lib this/that it's B.S.! It's a fact and the truth and AMERICA will never admit it!

[justalurker]

01:43 PM on 03/03/2011

I agree.

Here are some lies about obama perpetuated by Fox news:
he's a kenyan.
he's a muslim.
he's destroying america.
he's in the pocket of big business.
he's anti-business.
he's indoctrinating our school children.
he's planning fema camps.
he's planning death panels.
he's incompetent.
he's taking over everything in sight.
he's raising taxes (when he's been cutting them).
he's a great communicator only because of teleprompter magic.
he doesn't know how many states there are.
There's a secret tape of his wife saying "whitey do that"
on and on and on... 24/7 for three years running....

To paraphrase Mark Twain:
There are three kinds of lies:
lies, dam_ed lies, and Fox news talking about obama.

[TommyObama]

10:35 PM on 03/03/2011

"Lie, Damned Lies, and Fox News"!

You've just created one kicka$$ bumper sticker, Lurker! Or tee shirt...

F & F

[TwinX]

04:35 AM on 03/06/2011

Justalurker? You really should delurk more often :-)

[Sipiwe Mutunhu]

11:25 AM on 03/03/2011

What is happening to Obama is the same thing that happens to Americans like me who have names that by typical American standard do not sound like typical American names. I, like Obama have an American mother and an African father. I was born and raised here in the United States. I am an American! However, I can tell people my name, they ask me to repeat it. Then ask me where I am from? I say I am from here (for those not listening, or need me to say it again for clarity, here is the US of A). They ask about the origin of my name. I explain that my father is from Africa. They say oh, ok. Then someone else will walk up and the person I just explained all this to, will turn around and introduce me something like this, "This is Sipiwe, she is from Africa, and tell, me how did you learn to speak English so good...." Maybe they'd be better convinced if Obama's name was...say....Leroy Jackson!

[nermz345]

12:18 PM on 03/03/2011

that is because people are very simple in this country. lol only part of my name is "ethnic." my mother is west african, though my father isn't. and i've been asked why wouldn't they name you something simpler to say. i usually reply, "oh i don't know, because when one is naming their child, it is more about what the name meants to them and their cultural background, and not so john smith can have an easier time proncouncing it."

[Sipiwe Mutunhu]

12:56 PM on 03/03/2011

I see someone else has encountered the same dismissive, and as you said "simple", people I have encountered. People hear what they want, and believe in their own close minded prejudices.

[jamaicalover]

05:37 PM on 03/03/2011

I just finished watching Skin.
 
Sandra Laing played by Sophie Okonedo is born with dark skin -- a complex problem in the era of South African apartheid.  Her white parents fight to have the government classify her as white, Sandra grows up in a divided world.
 
I'm afraid race will always be an issue.

[schildpad]

10:27 AM on 03/03/2011

And yet again the repubba bubbas do their best to discredit the president. And fail. Miserably.

[e paw]

03:25 AM on 03/05/2011

The thing is the audience that heard his lies probably never heard him take it back. Doubt they aired THAT on the radio station. So hopefully he gets enough heat from the general public, but alas it's only dems who care, to outweigh his gain.

[HotheadPaisen]

08:47 AM on 03/03/2011

Aww Huck...when pastors lie it makes Baby Jesus cry.

[Douglas Campbell]

03:47 AM on 03/03/2011

Mike Huckabee spent Two Years in a Juvenile Facility for stabbing his mother with a fork after she rejected his sexual advances.

If I have misspoken in any way, my handlers will set the record straight tomorrow, after youve absorbed this shocking and unsettling news.

[baileywick]

08:28 PM on 03/03/2011

Fanned for funniness. ( And uncovering a deep dark truth )

[TommyObama]

10:50 PM on 03/03/2011

It was his father, Doug...

And it was several years before that unfortunate dormitory incident at Oachita Baptist Universtiy in 1975, which was really just a big misunderstanding; blown far out of proportion by the administration and the other boy's family. Time to move on and focus on the future; as Huck has.

[navyvet55]

11:41 AM on 03/04/2011

Doug misspoke. Understand irony? Huckabee was raised in communist China. Oh, I misspoke. Huckabee was raised by a pedophile, Oh, I mispoke---my bad. Huck has no future, at least not in politics.